Photo by Public domain (iNaturalist) on iNaturalist · CC0 (public domain)
Wild cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarpon
- When
- Typically September – November — September, October, November. Earlier in the south, later in the north.
- Where it grows
- Sphagnum bogs and wet, acidic heathland.
- How to know it
- Thin trailing vines through the moss with tiny evergreen leaves; hard red berries sitting on top of the moss.
- Look-alikes
- None toxic in a bog setting, but avoid any red berry on an upright woody shrub with milky sap.
- Harvest and use
- Sauce, drying, freezing. They keep for months in a cold room.
Found in these regions
- Acadian Forest & Atlantic Coast
- Boreal Forest & Shield
- Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Lowlands
- Boreal North & Taiga
- Northeast Atlantic Coast & Piedmont
Hardiness zones 2–7.
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Also ready in September
FruitAugust – SeptemberBeach plum
Prunus maritima
Low sprawling shrub in the sand, with dusty purple plums about the size of a marble.
How to know it & its look-alikes →Photo: Tom Norton · CC BY 4.0
NutSeptember – OctoberBlack walnut
Juglans nigra
Tennis-ball green husks lying under a tall tree with long compound leaves; the husk stains everything it touches brown.
How to know it & its look-alikes →Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg · CC BY 4.0
FruitAugust – SeptemberChokecherry
Prunus virginiana
Long drooping clusters of dark red-to-black cherries on a small tree with finely toothed oval leaves.
How to know it & its look-alikes →Photo: Tom Norton · CC BY 4.0
Educational information only. Never eat a wild plant or mushroom identified from a single photograph or description — confirm with a regional field guide or an experienced forager, and know the poisonous species in your area first.